


Tides of War

by Vaikuntha



Category: Dragon Ball, Justice League (2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, F/M, Multi, Slow Build, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:22:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29558349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vaikuntha/pseuds/Vaikuntha
Summary: The Multiverse is on the brink of collapse. The Source Wall, erected to keep the Universes apart is weakened. Various Old Gods long forgotten search for a resurgence of their former glory. The fate of a boy, whose race has been decimated to a few stragglers within the multiverse, intertwines with that of a man on the run from his troubles on a fateful night. The future once set in stone, has been eroded away by the oncoming Tides of War.
Collections: Dragon Ball Z





	Tides of War

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to neither DC nor Dragon Ball. Both properties belong to their respective parties.

He sat upon his sofa, supporting his head with one hand while the other cradled a nearly empty bottle of spirit. His eyes were closed yet tears seeped through the small openings to flow slowly down his cheeks as he sobbed silently. His body shook with each sob, his form reminiscent of a broken man. All that was missing was a stormy cloud above his head drenching his form to complete the atypical image of a person suffering with their depressive thoughts.

Then again who would not be depressed or down in the dumps if they had been in his shoes. His life as he knew it was falling apart around him ever so slowly. His wife of 5 years had left him, sure the signs had been there from the beginning yet getting married had seemed like a good idea, a plaster over the cracks if you will. Funny how that turned for the worst.

His beloved bar was in the red, the countless debts he had accumulated to buy it now running him into the ground with each passing day. Raising the bottle, he placed it to his lips and took a long swig of the bitter brew, excess liquid falling from his lips to stain his dirty blue jeans.

Worst of all his car had been wrecked by a spaceship of all things. Maybe he had been imagining things, the weeklong booze session he had partaken in to drown his sorrows had left his memory fuzzy. He remembered driving in the rural areas while coming from the dumping grounds after getting rid of all the things that reminded him of his wife… could he even call her that anymore? While he pondered, next thing he knew he was face first into his airbag, steam bellowing from his car's engine bay.

The spaceship had contained a baby, well a toddler to be more specific. He would have laughed at the situation if he had been sobber enough to realise just how much this meant however his booze addled mind had deemed it a good idea to take the toddler and make a run for it before the authorities arrived.

Oh how foolish he had been. He could barely look after himself, let alone a space toddler of all things, besides, they could trace the registration number on the car to him. Grumbling to himself he wondered how he was going to feed the extra mouth in his house now.

As if on cue the space toddler stirred awake from his resting place on the recliner. He had barely made a sound, only saving his voice for when he was hungry. He had a powerful set of lungs too, a pair he was afraid would alert the neighbours let alone the authorities to his plight. This time however he remained silent, using his energy to instead gawk at the world around him, even if he himself found nothing at all special about it. It held violence, greed, intolerance and was not exactly kind to those it deemed weak. At least that was how he saw it.

With a groan he set down the bottle alongside countless others like it, all empty. Rubbing his eyes to relieve the ensuing drowsiness he attempted to stand up only to stumble and lose his balance. "Fuck!" he cursed, reaching out to grab the headrest of the sofa he had been sitting on for support. This action caused the toddler to turn to face him. He exhaled audibly before shuffling his way over to the makeshift bed.

Peering down at the toddler he noticed how its eyes were on everything but him, taking in everything in the sparsely decorated and dimly lit room. Its brown and furry extra appendage was within its tiny little fingers. He felt his lip curl into a small smile while witnessing the innocence showcased by the toddler. Oh, how he wished he had retained the same innocence.

The toddler eventually settled its eyes on him and grinned up at him. Smiling back, he took a silent vow to not let the cruel world ruin the visitor from outer space. First to go would have to be the tail however, no point trying to make him blend in if he had extra limbs.

xXx

Goku sat in his afternoon classroom, textbook open on one side with his exercise copy on the other side. Countless doodles littered both his copy and textbook, the ink in his pen having been used to partake in a different role to its designed one. Speaking of which, the pen was currently between Goku's lips as the teacher's voice droned on in the background. Aside from the doodles, his copy book remained empty.

With a sigh he leaned back into his seat to look at the ceiling as a distraction. The class was dragging on too long for his liking, add to that how boring the day had already been and Goku was more than ready to jump out from his seat to do something he found fun, like exercise. It beat seating in class any day.

He leaned forward once more, his eyes falling on the clock perched above the whiteboard. The hands moved agonisingly slowly, causing him to blow air upwards at the ever-present bangs above in frustration and boredom.

"Goku?"

His name getting called suddenly snapped him from his wanderings, only to meet eye to eye with the teacher. "Is the clock that interesting?" she asked, her tone more amused than anything.

"N-no Mrs." replied Goku, sheepishly rubbing the back if his neck, feeling the eyes of all his classmates fall in his direction. Sinking lower into his seat he looked down at his book once more, silently cursing the words that refused to stick into his brain.

"BRRRRRRNNNGGG"

Goku winced at the loud bell, his sensitive ears pained by the shrill sound. His teacher had turned her focus to his fellow classmates, allowing him to sigh a relief at the end of another boring class but more importantly a school day. The weekend was looming ever closer, which was a bonus in his eyes. Eagerly he slammed his books shut, giving his brain reprieve from the hated text.

"Remember to look over your notes and work for the test at the end of the week." Called out the teacher, her gaze falling on Goku momentarily before moving along. Her words elicited a chorus of groans from her students, loudest of which was Goku from his desk near the front of the class.

"Ugh, I hate tests." he moaned, the idea of having his brain picked for information not sitting well with him. He continued to pack away his books and stationery into a large gym bag he had picked up from the floor to place on the tabletop. "Why can't it ever be something fun like hiking or even cycling?" he grumbled under his breath as he packed away his last book.

"Well Goku we aren't all blessed physically like you were. Some of us got stuck with the brains you're lacking." teased a feminine voice from over his shoulder.

"Real funny Mary." replied Goku without turning around, knowing who the voice belonged to.

"I'm just saying, maybe if you invested as much time into your books as you do anything else you wouldn't worry about tests as much." she added, amusement in her voice, finding joy in teasing her friend.

"That may be true, but books aren't as fun as running around outside and climbing trees like we used to is it?"

"Okay Tarzan, I get your point."

Goku pouted at the mention of his odd nickname. Truth was he hated it, and his friend knew he hated it but that was the reason why she never stopped calling him the name no matter how many times he complained. His eyes fell on her brown eyes that twinkled with mischievous intent but turns out he had been starring a little longer than usual.

"Like what you see?" she jested, smiling broadly while pulling a pose Goku was sure he had seen in one of her beloved fashion magazines that littered her locker. Her chestnut brown hair framed her delicate facial features as her eyes fell upon his own.

"You wish." retorted Goku, laughing lightly after as he turned back to his packing.

"Rude!" Mary exclaimed, slapping Goku's forearm in mock anger causing the male to laugh lightly. She watched silently as he easily hoisted the gym bag, she knew was laden with various gear for all the sports clubs Goku partook in on a near daily basis. How he found the time was beyond her, then again, he was not exactly well known for studying.

"Shall we?" he questioned, turning to face her. She nodded in response, moving to stand besides the taller male. The duo then noticed that they were the only students left in the classroom, with everyone having taken leave whilst they had been messing around.

Exiting into the oddly silent and empty hallway they walked side by side, the only sound to be heard being the clattering of various things in Goku's massive gym bag and their respective shoes squeaking along the polished floor.

Goku found his gaze lingering over the various posters, paintings and decorations created by his fellow students that were scattered on every viable surface along the hallway walls. He could not help wondering who the creators where, he found them interesting even if he himself was more athletically oriented in terms of activities.

"So how are your Karate lessons coming along?"

Goku turned to face Mary as they kept walking, not breaking step. After asking and begging his father countless times to enrol into martial arts he finally relented when a new dojo had opened near their home. The teacher was a young female, but she was talented, much to the chagrin of Mary, something Goku was confused about since she would always end up getting annoyed whenever he mentioned her or her name.

"It's going great, I'm still learning but Dinah says I'm making great progress. She thinks I'm a protegee, but I don't think so." Goku failed to notice Mary clutch her books tighter and closer to her chest at the mention of his teacher's name.

"Did she now?" Mary's tone was strained, her teeth clenched to keep her composure and not show her distaste at the mention of the name. it wasn't that she hated the girl, far from it, it was just that ever since Goku had taken up Karate he had started doing things outside of school less with her which sucked, but was understandable however to know that it was because of another female made her pulse race and frustration build.

"Yeah, she did, I have lessons tomorrow again so I'm looking forwards to that. Should be great!" exclaimed Goku excitedly, his joyous expression so infectious that even Mary found herself smiling along.

"As long as you don't forget about your homework. That was the deal with your father." added Mary, laughing lightly at the childish expression her friend pulled when she mentioned schoolwork. They neared the school entrance, a cold breeze numbing their exposed faces.

"Don't remind me."

xXx

Goku stood before his father most prized possession, a bar by the grandiose name of "The Temple." One would expect a name of such grandeur to belong to an establishment of class and high street yet that was not the case in this scenario. Maybe it was due to the numerous other bars that littered the narrow street that made it seem normal, or maybe it was the modest aura around the bar. To Goku it mattered not, it was home whichever way he looked at it.

Pushing the swinging door open, his sensitive senses were assaulted by the stench of cigarette smoke that hung in the air like a thick blanket while the smell of cheap booze accompanied it.

"Well, look who's here?"

A voice called out from the direction of the bar, which was manned by a middle-aged woman dressed in the typical attire for a bartender. Ruby hair framed her face, green eyes lighting up in recognition. Although she was surrounded by patrons all occupying the empty seats by the bar, she found time to throw the newcomer a smile.

Goku smiled in return, ignoring the looks he received from the patrons. As the son of the barkeep he was well accustomed to the questioning gazes, but he paid them no mind. "Hey Jenny" stopping in his tracks he looked around the various booths and areas in the bar for any sign of his father. "By the way have you seen Dad?"

Jenny pursed her lips, before motioning to the door leading to the back area or living quarters for Goku and his father with her head.

Taking the hint, he thanked her before making his way to the door. A few patrons who were regulars greeted him along the way. As the door swung shut behind him, it drowned out most of the noise from the main area of the bar. The loud atmosphere was not his forte, not even after many years of experiencing it.

Towards the end of the short corridor was a lone door, with dirty grey walls on either side. A few pictures or flowers would have gone a long way in lighting up the place but knowing his father, that money would be spent quicker on a lady he was trying to impress than the bar.

Goku could hear the kitchen staff and waiters through the partition wall to his right, laughing and joking together as they went about their work. How he wished his father acted like that with him. To his male peers, his old man was the cool guy, the bachelor who slept around with any woman he wanted on a nigh daily basis however to Goku he was a man afraid of commitment. He snapped out of his thoughts when he realised, he had subconsciously made his way to the door without even realising it. He wondered what lay behind the door, considering each day with his old man was one for the record books.

With a heavy sigh he twisted the handle and pushed the door open. His sensitive nose instantly picked up the faint aroma of feminine perfume leading to his fathers' room towards the back of the house past the modest sitting room. Speaking of which it had been updated since he was a baby, with new black leather seats, a modest coffee table in the centre and a reasonably sized television on a black stand in the corner of the room.

Dropping his gym bag on the sofa he looked towards the tv and currently the news was on, the lady presenting said news of the day dressed in a sharp black suit with white shirt combo. Paying it no heed, he moved towards their small kitchen, where he was greeted with a sink full of dirty dishes and pans. Numerous plastic wrappings from God knows when littered the countertop while the floor was not any better.

"In todays news, scientists have finally gained access into the mysterious spaceship they picked up 15 years ago. Unfortunately, it came up empty however a few strands of hair were recovered for study. A large-scale bidding war between the representatives of Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp resulted in a major bid of 1.5 billion dollars from LexCorp."

Goku's ears perked up at the mention of such a large sum of money but also from the information regarding the spaceship. He had always wondered what it would be like to have come from outer space, with countless nights spent as a child peeking out the window at the stars whenever they were visible. Grabbing a broom, he busied himself with cleaning the floor.

"In other news, a new metahuman has arrived on the scene. He goes by Superman and was spotted a few times in Metropolis aiding the authorities and normal citizens throughout the day. The future certainly looks bright with him around for the city."

Goku stopped his cleaning to peek at the tv over the counter separating the kitchen and living area. A still image of a smiling Superman took much of the small screen, the large 'S' displayed proudly on his chest. Another thing Goku noticed was how young he looked, no older than he was, Infact he could even say they appeared to be the same age.

The door to his father's room opening drew his gaze, just as a young female emerged followed by his old man. The moderate amount of perfume she wore made his nose itch irritably while her bleached blonde hair was so bright it reflected light from the small tv better than any mirror in their house. In her hands she held her shoes, a pair of red high heels while she was dressed to impress, her athletic figure accentuated with a pair of blue short shorts and a white tank top. Her eyes fell on him. "Oh my, who might you be handsome?"

His father answered for him, placing a gentle hand on the small of the woman's back. "That's my son." He turned to face Goku, giving the boy a warm smile. "Goku, this is Isabelle."

Grunting in response, Goku turned away from the duo to continue his cleaning, leaving his father to awkwardly push Isabelle towards the door with himself in tow. "Typical." This was nothing new to the boy, he hated it, but he could not stop his father doing what he wanted to do. All he could do was watch from the side-lines, loathing every single moment he was introduced to his father's so-called conquest for the day. Gripping the broom handle tighter, the metal warped slightly under his intense grip as he pushed the litter harder than before.

"Whoa there Goku, easy on the broom. Those aren't cheap you know."

Goku stopped suddenly, his tight grip relaxing at his father's words. "S-sorry." Putting the broom aside with the indents of his fingers in the metal making the handle, he grabbed a cloth and busied himself cleaning the countertops as his father sighed from the doorway.

"Does he lift weights or something?" asked his fathers companion, noting the bent metal. It was not every day you bore witness to a teenager bending solid metal with his bare hands, if at all really.

His father pushed his fingers through his thinning brown hair, a few grey strands showing through the action. "No, he was uh…" he paused, peering over his shoulder at his adopted son cleaning the little kitchen. "He was born like that. Has been freakishly strong since he was a child and has been getting stronger as he grows."

"Sounds pretty awesome."

Goku stopped his cleaning once more at the sound of the door opening to mull over his father's answer. The pause had been unexpected; however, it was also understandable because it was not everyday someone asked you why your son was freakishly strong. Paying the conversation no heed once more he busied himself with finish up the cleaning, as the news continued playing in the background.

A little while later as he finished putting the last dish from the sink into the drying rack, he noticed how the house had fallen silent. Realising that the timer on the TV had gone and went, he dried his hands with the cloth he had used to wipe away the dirt on the counter tops. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his phone, the screen coming to life as he pressed a button on the side. The time read '16:58', too late for lunch but also too early for dinner. Pondering what to do next Goku then remembered that he had not done enough exercise for the day, since being cooped up in class had eaten away his morning and afternoon combined.

Grabbing his earphones from his gym bag, he remembered he still had a mountain of homework to tackle, a thought that made him groan in distaste. Knowing Mary, she would chew the ear of him the next morning if it were not done to her ridiculous standards. Closing the bag shut once more he resolved to do the work later, however right now what he needed was some fresh air.

xXx

The air outside was chilly, and Goku regretted not bringing something bigger and thicker than a hoodie. It was nearing wintertime, well Christmas if you wanted to be pedantic about it. Numerous decorations related to said holiday covered every possible surface, with the colour red and green contrasting with the soft white. With night-time looming over the horizon sooner than during the summertime, Goku knew his run would have to be cut shorter than he liked.

Shivering slightly, he gazed at the various people he passed going through their Christmas shopping, an activity he had barely any experience with outside from a few times he had done so with Mary, however seeing families doing it always made his chest ache with jealousy. He knew his father would never do something like that, the last time he had asked had resulted in his old man snapping irritably at him. The colour matched jumpers and coats the family wore as they walked by with joyous expressions did little to ease his jealousy.

Suddenly he stopped before the local spot for breakfast and coffee. It was a homely little corner café that was infamous throughout the surrounding area, with the elderly couple that operated the business known for their fantastic service. Goku peered through the large window in time to see a family of four sitting down together for dinner. The father was talking animatedly with his children while the mother laughed along.

Goku never knew his mother, having spent his formative years with his father for company. that was not to say he found it dissatisfying, quite the contrary, he just wondered what it felt like to have a mother figure around at home. The numerous woman who came and went through the door to his house never tickled his fancy, with a certain memory of a much younger version of himself calling one of the lady's mommy by accident only to have his father reprimand him.

With a sigh he pulled his hood over his head, just as a light sprinkling of snow fell from the sky. He looked up, his breath visible amongst the twirling snowflakes. He wasn't unhappy with his life at home however, sure his father was rarely around when it mattered but he had taken to sports as a vice for his frustrations, something he realised he was really good at with his God given talent. In his mind things were not so bad.

"Help! Thief!"

Goku turned on the spot, in time to see a hooded figure running in the opposite direction of a hysterical female screaming for help. A part of him wanted to ignore the plea for help, this was not anything new, robberies like these happened on a nigh daily basis however another part then remembered the news story on Superman, causing Goku to feel guilt. If that guy was willing to help in the direst of situations with his abilities, then he could use his own to help someone. With a sigh he turned around and took off running after the thief.

Unlike usual however this time he didn't hold back, no, pulling on every inch of his natural strength he rocketed at break neck speed down the road, causing loose litter to flutter into the air, the gust of wind created in his wake throwing up loose snow. Closing the distance was no challenge, with the thief stumbling in shock at the image of a boy chasing them down easily. While focused on Goku they failed to notice the pile of boxes placed on the sidewalk for collection the next morning by the recycling company. Cursing loudly, they tumbled across the wet sidewalk, their grip on the bag loosening.

Goku stopped to a standstill, his breathing even, the small exertion not enough to count as a warmup. Reaching down he grabbed the handbag just as the thief stumbled to their feet facing him. "That wasn't a nice thing to do now was it. Especially with Christmas near."

The thief was wearing a scarf that covered the lower half of their face while the black hood covered the rest baring the eyes. Intense brown eyes gazed deeply into Goku's onyx eyes, unwavering as each sized each other up. "Shouldn't have done that." The thief's voice was soft and effeminate, something Goku was not expecting considering there were no usual features that resembled those of a female to be seen on the thief.

"Maybe, but I couldn't stand by while you stole the ladies' bag."

The effeminate thief dusted themselves off before stepping closer towards Goku, the visible difference in height clear as day as he towered over their smaller frame. However, from up close, Goku's sensitive nose picked up trace hints of feminine perfume, which smelt familiar, but he could not place where he knew it from. Then again, he had been exposed to so many different scents while growing that picking them apart was an exercise in futility. "You should apologise as well."

A brief silence fell between the duo, with the background noise of the city living and breathing the only sound between them. There was a sudden snort that quickly formed into light laughter as the thief averted their gaze. "You're funny you know that." they breathed out, after controlling their laughter. "You should apologise." continued the thief, repeating what Goku had said in a mocking tone before laughing once more.

Goku frowned, not liking the fact he was not being taken seriously. "How would you like it if someone stole something of yours?" his question silenced the thief; it was meant to because he himself had experienced with getting his own things stolen. More so by his father's female 'friends' but that didn't change the fact he had been stolen from.

"That's a good question I don't feel like answering." retorted the thief in an amused tone, moving closer within Goku's personal space. Reaching up they slapped him lightly twice on the cheek only to then turn around and run off before Goku could react.

Eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the odd behaviour, Goku scratched the back of his head momentarily before shrugging. Somethings were better left unexplained, and this was certainly one of those things. Realising he still had to return the bag to the frantic woman pacing at the end of the road he turned around, but not before glancing once more in the direction the thief had ran off in. The day was certainly odd thus far, and it was not even done yet. God knows what could happen in the coming hours, something Goku certainly was not too particularly excited about.

xXx

After returning the bag to the lady who had thanked him extensively much to his chagrin, Goku had made his way home just as the final signs of daylight were erased from the sky above by the encroaching darkness of the night. The lady had been so pleased with his exploits in returning her bag that she had slipped him a 10 dollar note, an offer he had refused, not knowing what he would do with the money but she had insisted causing him to reluctantly take the money which now resided in the pocket of his hoodie along with his phone.

As he neared the street where his father's pub was located, he paused momentarily to witness an elderly man seating on a cardboard box that had been flattened and placed on the ground as shelter from the cold ground. The blankets that covered the rest of his body were tattered and matted with dirt. They were probably also damp from the falling snow, Goku could only imagine how uncomfortable that would be.

A furry ball of energy emerged from within the bundle of mismatched coverings to lick the elderly mans face in happiness, which caused said man to chuckle and laugh along with joy. Goku was aware the man was homeless and sleeping on the streets, this was not a new occurrence, however with how cold it was outside he could not help but feel bad for him. Gripping the money in his pocket he knew what he wanted to do with it, as he changed direction to walk towards the man.

The man's laughter became louder as he neared the duo, with the image causing a smile to implant itself on Goku's lips. As he drew nearer the old man stopped playing with his dog to look up at the teenager who was smiling at him. Raising an eyebrow in confusion he voiced his thoughts, his wizened eyes staring intently at the teenager. "A young whippersnapper like you shouldn't be out in this cold you know."

Goku's smile faltered slightly, becoming unsure of what to say next. "W-well I was uh, I was on my way home when I saw you playing with your dog and you both looked so happy even though you're not in the greatest situation. Sleeping on the streets and all."

The old man then laughed as he petted his dog's head once more, causing the pup to bark happily in response. He remained silent for a while longer while Goku stood awkwardly before him, unsure of what was going to happen next. "Well…" his voice died down as he laughed once more, the dog licking his lips. "Good boy haha, but as I was saying I'd rather be happy and homeless than be miserable while staying at home."

"I suppose that makes sense." while Goku himself was far from miserable at home, it was no secret to everyone but his father that he was not the happiest at home. However he had no reason to complain as he had a roof over his head and three meals a day, unlike the man seated before him. "Well I would like you to have this." Goku withdrew his hand from his pocket, the bundle of notes within his fingers.

"What's that?" quizzed the man as he continued to play around with his excited dog. He was aware that it was money however he still felt compelled to ask, since being curious never hurt anyone in his experience.

Goku shuffled his feet, his free hand moving to rub the back of his neck as a vice to ease his nerves. "It's money. I don't need it hence why I want you to have it."

"Are you looking down on me?" the man had now furrowed his eyebrows, his voice gaining a hard edge to it that had not been present prior. His change in emotion was so unexpected that even his dog whimpered sadly, burrowing into the blankets for cover.

"N-no, not at all. That was not my intention. I just happened to receive it from a lady earlier after I helped catch a thief for her. I refused the money, but she insisted, and since I don't need it, I feel you can put it to better use than I would."

There was a brief silence as the man continued to stare at Goku in silence before smiling once more, this time his wizened blue eyes lighting up in tandem. His puppy, noticing the change in its owner peeked from the blankets barking happily once more. "Yes, that's right buddy, we're going to have some warm soup and bread thanks to this young man."

"It's nothing really." Goku felt good inside as he joined in the joyous laughter of the man and his pup. Maybe that's why superheroes like Superman did the work they did, after all there was something infectious about seeing a smile of pure joy after helping someone.

Noting how dark it had become, and more than likely how late it was Goku bid farewell to the old man before taking off running in the direction of home, his heart beating joyously in his chest.


End file.
